Fruit pitting knife



l NOV. V29, 1949 A, BESAC- E1- AL 2,489,512

FRUIT FITTING KNIFE Filed May 3, 1946 HTI, j

A-rTorLN E55 Patented Nov. 29, 1949 .Arnold Besag, EastMalvel-n, Victoria.,`I and Otto .'1heodoreGoetz,v Spotswood, Victoria, Australia Application May "3, 1946, Serial No. 666,986 In Australia Mary-16,1945

4 Claims. (CL B16-,28)

This invention relates Vto fruitppitting knives 'used in conjunctionwith machines for prepar- Ling'fruit such as peaches for preserving or like processing.

The natureo'f .thestone `or kernelo'frthe peach andthe varying sizes of the fruit and stonelpre- .sent many difficulties in providingan eiective mechanical operation for splitting or halving of ,the fruit andremoval of the stone in the jpitting operation.

It is well known that the size of the peach stone is not relative to the size of the-fruit in that .large fruit may have a large .or a small stone and small fruit may Isimilarly :produce either large or small `stones- Consequently in any batch of fruit to be-pittecLr whether graded orfotherwise,

numerous .shapesand sizes of stones Jwill be encountered.

If thepitting Aknife is designed `tofremove the .largeStsiZe-stOne, likely :to be met, and at the -same time remove .the woody part of the `iiesh surrounding such-stone, theknife will on pitting a peach having a small stone remove .an .excessive amount of .edible flesh -with consequent waste.

.It has been proposed to-employ flexible pitting Y blades inthe form of wire loops or ribbon blades -having an inherent flexibility permitting the blade to adjust itself .to .thecontourof the stone and thereby remove a minimum of. fruitflesh with ,the stone. Such pitting .blades areimpracticable for the reason that no provisionis .made for removing the `woody portion ofthe fruit'flesh surrounding the stone and vsuch kniveslack the requisite strength .to meet any unusual/obstruction as for example when a peachy is.. incorrectly `fed to themaehineby an operatorfandtheipeach .incorrectly lhalved.

Inanother 'known vform. .of pitting knife the blade `is formed in .two independently-.pivotally n[mounted halves, but .as the peach .sto-nes en- .countered .are neither symmetrical. nor .always symmetrically .positioned vrelatively .to .the pitting k-nife,the two halves. ofthe. latter Williin anumber of` cases rexpand. .or .move about .their pivotal ,mountings to .a different .degreeand thereby result in stepped cuts in the peachfilesh .which-*are .rejects as.- far as rst Aduality canned...peaehesare concerned.

lithasalso beenl proposed to pivotallyattacha single arched pitting blade to .itsdriving `shat with a resilientmountingfor the knife to enable the .latter to. inCreaSeitsdepth .of cut when. urged by the contour .oa large stQnafthebladesimuI- taneously having impartedy thereto Ianoscillatory movement about itspivot. ...Onetdisadvantagefref the rwidestfstone otherwise :itrwill cause 'possible `damage' Lto-the. knifey. and 'when Lwide enough v`for l:such stones-willfeieet Iazconsiderable loss of fruit 'fiesh with small'and averager size stones.

The principal objective of the present invention is to iprovide an improvedrpi'tting knife for :removing the stones 'or pits from previously halvedlfrui-t inwhich the iknifeoperates with'a self-:adjusting action' :determined by and independentl'yzof-thesize and/orrcontour of the stone v--vrhereloya minimum'amoun't of fruit esh is removed withnthe' stone.

Wit'lithelabove stated objective in view, a fruit .pitting linife,faccording to this invention,lcom prises anoscillatable drive shaft having recipro- 'calrotatior-i,allexible arched or bowed pitting 'blade freeat reach end dri-ve vconnected with the oscIllatable-drive-shaft and freely movable radially inlrelation to the drive shaftand freely ex- `pandable laterally responsive tothe contours of a fruits'tone'.

Inrtlie constructionvstated radial movement of the pitting blade-enablesthe blade in operation to effect a movement responsive :to the rounded contour of lthe fruit stone while -the resiliently ency of the Ablade returns the extending'side portionsfthereof Vto normal after expansion.

The cutting portion of the blade ispreferably sharpened on'its leading edge and the inner surface adapted to .contact the fruit stone tapers downwardly whereby the cutting edge is maintained a desired distance away from the .surface of the .stone vvvl'iereby the woody'lesh adjacent a peachxstone,.lfor example, isremoved during the cuttingmovement .of the knife.

Furthermore, the expanding movements .of the extendingside portionsof. the blade'do-not cause any .appreciable variations tothe radial ymovements of the blade whereby the blade in all movements responsive tothe .contours koi? the stone closely *.fellowsthe 'said contours to thereby re- ;move afminimum of edible fruit'flesh during Ythe pitting operation.

Theaccompanying drawings illustrate one prac- Fig. 6 is a view in front elevation of a' modified' construction in which the pitting knife is movable on a cranked drive shaft.

apertures I2 form guide means which control the radial movements and lateral expansion of the blade.

In operation the shaft I3 and blade 'I are oscillated and if a stone is higher or longer than normal the blade 'I will yield in a radial direction, thus increasing the radius of the cutting sweep of the blade as required by the rear under edge Ill of the blade closely following the contours of the stone. On so doing the rollers I8 slide along the surfaces I9 of lug 20 in the drive shaft I3.

The blade 'I is returned to normal position by the compression springs 25, after movement of the blade induced by the contours of a stone.

In the drawings the pitting knife 6 is a iiexible'v steel blade 'I of usual arched formation and having a forward cutting edge 8. The under surface 9 of the blade 'I is ground to taper from the cutting -edge 8 rearwardly to rear under edge I0 so that said edge IIJ actually contacts the outer surface of a peach stone during operation. The cutting edge 8 thereby cuts a required distance into the peach flesh adjacent the stone whereby the woody flesh adjacent the stone is removed during the pitting operation, and will adhere to the pitted stone.

Extending side portions II of the blade l have apertures I2 therein through which latter the rigid drive shaft I3 extends. Secured to the side portions II are forked brackets I4, the fork slot I5 of which register With the apertures I2.

Each fork end I9 of the brackets I4 are slotted as at I'I in which the spindles of rollers I8 are journalled. Pairs of rollers I8 on each end IG of bracket I4 are arranged to bear against surfaces I 9 formed on opposite sides of a lug 20 formed on the drive shaft I3. The disposition of rollers I8 and ends I6 of brackets I4 on either side of the lug formed on the shaft I'3 form a drive connection between the said shaft and blade 1.

A grooved extension or saddle piece 2| of the lug 29 is secured in position by screw 22, the sides of extension 2| having secured thereto stop rollers 23 adapted to act as stops for rollers I8 When in normal position as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3.

The lower ends of brackets I4 are formed with recesses 24, each receiving respectively one end of a pair of compression springs 25, the upper ends of springs each seat in a recess 26 in the extension 2l of lug 20.

The recesses 24 are provided with adjustable studs 2 by means of which the compression of springs 25 may be adjusted. The springs 25 exert pressure between the lower ends of brackets I4 and underside of extension 2I on lug 20 so that the rollers I8 are normally pressed against the stop rollers 23.

The spring receiving recesses 24 and 26 are provided with inclined sides as 24a and 26a which enable the springs 25 to assume an inclined position during expanding movement of the blade 1.

In Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings the knife as illustrated is mounted in known manner in operative position below a pitting table 28, the drive shaft I3 being supported in bearings 29, a drive coupling for said drive shaft is not shown as being unnecessary.

In use of the knife the blade 'I is set or adjusted relatively to the pitting table 28 to remove in a required manner, a small size stone likely to be met in a batch of peaches to be processed.

The rollers I8, bearing surfaces I9, brackets I4, springs 25 and disposition of the shaft I3 through Similarly, if a stone which is wider than normal is encountered, the sides II of the blade 'I can expand laterally in a direction parallel to the axis of the drive shaft I3. This is achieved by the resiliency of the flexible blade 1, whereby it returns automatically to normal position after having been expanded by an over-wide stone.

Axial displacement or complete movement of the knife assembly is prevented by the stop rollers 23 along which latter the sides Il of the blade 'I slides when moving in a radial direction without being simultaneously expanded laterally in the manner shown in Fig. 4. Should lateral expansion occur, the blade I will iioat freely, controlled only by the contours of the stone, and will automatically return to the normal position immediately the outside contours of the stone ceases to exert any pressure upon the blade 'I.

Any expanding movements of the blade 'I do not effect radial movements as both movements of the blade may occur separately or together so that the blade is at all times free to adjust itself to the contours of the stone being pitted. Furthermore the mounting of the blade 'I will enable the latter to rock and thereby accommodate itself to a stone which is incorrectly aligned with the blade. Such rocking movement may occur during radial movement and/or lateral expansion of the blade.

Illustrated in Fig. 6 a modified construction is shown in which the pitting knife Sa is mounted on a cranked driving shaft 30. The cranked portion 3l of the shaft 30 is provided with a lug 32 having bearing surfaces 33 formed on opposite faces thereof.

The blade 'Ia is provided with extending side portions 34 having brackets 35 attached thereto, said brackets being provided with apertures 36 through which latter the cranked portion 3| of the shaft extends. The lug 32 is positioned between the said brackets and pairs of rollers 3l are carried in projections 38 formed in the brackets 35 so that the pairs of rollers 31 bear on the surfaces 33 on lug 32. Stop rollers 38a are carried on the brackets 35 to engage the cranked portion 3l of shaft 39 when the blade is returned to normal position by a compression spring 39 supported between a recess 49 formed in the crank 3l below lug 32 and a carriage 4I supported by spaced rollers 42 bearing on inwardly projecting portions 43 formed at lower ends of brackets 35.

The operation of the modified construction is similar to that described in reference to Figs. 1 to 5, excepting that the mounting on the crank 3l provides the knife la with movement through an arc which will more closely approximate the general longitudinal contour of a peach stone.

During lateral expansion movements of the blade 'la the end portions 43 of brackets 35 separate with rolling engagement with rollers 42 whereby the radial movements of the blade are under influence of spring 39.

We claim:

1. A fruit pitting knife comprising an oscil-v latable drive shaft having a portion of rectangular section with parallel sides, a bowed resiliently flexible pitting blade, parallel extensions integral with and positioned on opposite sides of said blade, guide supports secured to the parallel extensions, rectangularly formed apertures in the parallel extensions and the guide supports freely accommodating the rectangular section portion of the oscillatable drive shaft and permitting radial movement and resilient axial expansion of said pitting blade lrelatively to said drive shaft, at least one spring opposing the radial movement interposed between the guide supports and said rectangular portion, stops maintaining said pitting blade in a normal position, and guide members on the guide supports engaging the parallel sides of said rectangular portion and drive connecting said drive shaft" and said pitting blade.

2. A fruit pitting knife comprising an oscillatable drive shaft, a portion of rectangular section formed on the drive'shaft, a bowed resiliently flexible pitting blade, integral lateral prolongations on said pitting blade, a bracket secured to each lateral prolongation, slotted openings formed in alignment inthe lateral prolongations and said brackets freely accommodating the rectangular portion of the oscillatable drive shaft and permitting radial"v movement and resilient axial expansion of said pitting blade relatively to said drive shaft, guide rollers rotatably supported on said brackets and engaged with opposite sides of said rectangular portion to form a drive connection between said drive shaft and said pitting blade, a saddle piece secured to the rectangular portion of said drive shaft, springs interposed between the saddle piece and said brackets and opposing the radial movement of said pitting blade, and supporting rollers rotatably mounted on the saddle piece and comprising. supports for the guide rollers on said brackets.'

3. A"*fruit pitting knife as claimed in claim 2 having: forks at one end of the brackets, journals iri'the forks whereon the guide rollers are rotatably mounted, and recesses in the opposite ends ofthe brackets and in the saddle piece to receivethe ends of the springs interposed between said brackets and saddle piece.

4,'A fruit pitting knife comprising an oscillatable drive shaft, an oiiset part in the cranked portion parallel with the oscillatable drive shaft, an inward radial extension on the offset part, a bowed resiliently flexible pitting blade, integral lateral prolongations on said pitting blade, brackets secured to and forming extensions of the lateral prolongations, openings in the brackets through which said offset part freely extends, guide rollers rotatably supported on the brackets and engaging the inward radial extension to form a drive connection between said extension and said brackets whereby the oscillatable drive shaft actuates said pitting blade, supporting rollers rotatably mounted on the brackets and engaging said offset part, a roller supported carriage carried by the brackets, and at least one spring interposed between said carriage and the offset-part.

ARNOLD BESAG.

OTTO THEODORE GOETZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,463,676 Petersen Feb. 12, 1924 1,566,463 Bem Dec. 22, 1925 1,581,482 Bem Apr. 20, 1926 1,617,909 Jepson Feb. 15, 1927 1,941,874 Bem Jan. 2, 1934 

